The Charge

The Case

R. O. Blechman's The Soldier's Tale ranks with Walt Disney's Fantasia as one of the greatest attempts
at crafting animation out of a renowned and beloved classical music piece.
Melding the music of Igor Stravinsky with a play by C. F. Ramuz, Blechman's film
is such a visual feast and takes such chances that one can overlook its few
flaws.

The story is simple, dealing with an ordinary Russian soldier who finds
himself lost in the fields while returning from an unnamed war. (I suspect it is
World War I, but by not naming a specific war, the film carries a timeless
quality.) Equipped with his bag and beloved violin, he encounters a stranger who
wishes to purchase the instrument. That stranger turns out to be the Devil
(voiced by the great Max Von Sydow), and the violin, which he buys, contains the
soldier's soul.

Stravinsky's piece was written in 1918, as Russia was experiencing the early
stages of the aftermath of the great Bolshevik revolution that ousted the Czar
and his family from power. To celebrate the 100th birthday of the great
composer, PBS commissioned a fifty-minute animated special. They chose renowned
animator R. O. Blechman to write, direct, and supervise the project. The
finished film premiered in 1984 on the Great Performances program to wide
acclaim. A 1985 VHS release from MGM/UA helped give it some extra exposure, but
for the past 18 years, Blechman's film has been a lost masterpiece, rarely seen
if at all.

Blechman takes no prisoners with his visual approach. He uses a variety of
different styles to tell his story, ranging from abstract collage to beautiful
hand-drawn animation, varying the style according to the mood of Stravinsky's
music. His specialty is line animation, and that style makes up the majority of
his film. He demonstrates that simplicity in animation is not a curse but an
asset, particularly when the animator knows how to use it. While the film works
well on the small screen, I can only imagine how much richer it would have been
on a large theatrical screen in 35mm.

There are some flaws, as I mentioned above. The film's ending is a bit too
pat, especially for a composer as complicated and dense as Stravinsky. Blechman
was probably under a specific time limit and had to end the story as he does. I
would have appreciated an extra five minutes or so, which would have allowed the
story to play out organically rather than abruptly, and the blend of animation
and music is so mesmerizing the extra length would have been welcome for its own
sake. Also, the use of dialogue sometimes becomes a distraction; this might have
been even better as a silent film.

Koch Vision presents The Soldier's Tale in a full-frame transfer.
This is not one of Koch Vision's better efforts. While the picture is far from
terrible, the print could have used some serious cleanup. The telltale signs of
age are all present: scratches, specks, and other blemishes. The color scheme is
alternately bright and muted, but since I have a feeling that was the effect
Blechman was aiming for, I'll overlook it. The transfer appears to be the same
one used for the 1985 MGM/UA home video release, and that is not what someone
purchasing this disc wants.

Audio is much better. Both the surround mixes are satisfactory, but the 5.1
surround mix gives Stravinsky's music that extra kick that music buffs will
love. There are a few crackling sounds, but that may be inherent to the original
music recording rather than the source material.

Koch offers up some extra content, all of which is well worth spending your
time on. First is a commentary track featuring R. O. Blechman, associate
producer George Griffin, and animator Tessa David. The track is far from
perfect. While Blechman is easily heard, Griffin's comments are poorly recorded
and difficult to hear. David has a heavy European accent that makes it difficult
to comprehend certain words. Still, Blechman has a great many stories and bits
information to share, and if you can listen closely enough to the other
participants, they share some unique insights as well. Just have your volume
control in hand, as you will be adjusting the sound when necessary.

Also offered is "The World of R. O. Blechman," a half-hour
compilation film comprising Blechman's best commercials, advertisements, and
rare footage from his archives. Each segment can be screened separately, or you
can choose to view them as a entire featurette. Some of the animation is
downright brilliant, with a keen eye toward style and motion rather than fancy
backgrounds or lavish visuals.

The Soldier's Tale is not a perfect film, but few films really are.
It takes great courage to even attempt creating something visual out of a piece
of music. I admire the courage it took to make this film and the hard work that
went into it. Blechman's unique style and vision help bring the vigor and
vitality of Stravinsky's work to glorious life. Other than Fantasia, I'd
be hard pressed to find a better example of how to meld classical music and
animation successfully.